Beaten to the punch

[older saint]

I read with disappointment on the AFL website that Richmond is looking at playing an exhibition game in India.

Over a year ago I wrote on here the potential of India in terms of exposure and potential sponsorship . While I was shot down here by the vast majority as a ridiculous idea I also emailled the suggestion to the club which I got no response from either.

While it may amount to nothing it is disappointing the club does not think outside the usual .

India has the potential to be bigger than China economically, has a large population within Melbourne, and has facilities for exhibition games already. A link with an Indian company looking to break in to the global/Australian market would be a win win and would also potentially increase supporters / members through the association, with those living in Melbourne. Going there playing an exhibition game and doing some community work would build a link.

As i said perhaps Richmond will amount to nothing, and perhaps the club explored the option and knows it is a waste of time, but to me India if not already is the next China economically

[SainterK]

Some kind of link to a new market would be a ripper idea at some point.

Are we still exploring New Zealand opportunities?

That was on the cards at some stage.

[B W and R all over]

And they reckon Seaford was far.

[magnifisaint]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

[plugger66]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

I suppose if they get .001% interested it would be 80k or something like that.

[Dr Spaceman]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

I suppose if they get .001% interested it would be 80k or something like that.

If we rename this bloke Tom Curry it might help build some interest

[meher baba]

I think the idea that AFL could ever hope to expand into India is a total joke.

But, then, so is the idea that it can expand into western Sydney. IMO

[plugger66]

I think the idea that AFL could ever hope to expand into India is a total joke.

But, then, so is the idea that it can expand into western Sydney. IMO

I dont get why you are so against the expansion into Western Sydney. It is happening even if it takes 50 years. It has paid for itself with the TV rights going up so much. It is helping clubs like us stay in the AFL. Even if not many extra play or watch the game there will be some which can only make our game better to watch. If we dont expand games that can be play internationally may gradually take over.

[Sick Nal Danto]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

I suppose if they get .001% interested it would be 80k or something like that.

If we rename this bloke Tom Curry it might help build some interest

+1

[The Redeemer]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

A nation of over 1 billion people and if they somehow teamed up with a cricketer or two the exposure (even a passing/fleeting interest) would be well worth it.

[SaintPav]

India has the potential to be bigger than China economically,

A bit like we had the potential to have had 5 flags. Actually no, we had a greater chance to have had 5 flags up until now than India has of being bigger than China....erm...no.

[3rd generation saint]

Maybe we can invite Bill Gates to a game, every American I know that has seen the game loves it.
More chance of getting a sponsorship there.

[PJ]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

I suppose if they get .001% interested it would be 80k or something like that.

If we rename this bloke Tom Curry it might help build some interest

Either that or Tom Yum

[older saint]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

I suppose if they get .001% interested it would be 80k or something like that.

exactly the reason the AFL went to West Sydney. Why go to Tas you already have a captive market 3 mill live in West Syd, you get 2% interested in footy there is 60000 new followers to the game.

Same theory .

[magnifisaint]

This thread is a pile of s***

[8856brother]

This thread is a pile of s***

And you have a seventh of it's contributions so far. Well done.

[Bernard Shakey]

If we rename this bloke Tom Curry it might help build some interest

Either that or Tom Yum

Are we after Thailand now?

[HitTheBoundary]

So we send our players to India, one third of them get sick (say goodbye fitness) and we get a few newspaper articles (if we are lucky) if there is a connection to cricket. I think we would be mad to come here....(I am currently in India).

[hungry for a premiership]

I'm not against the AFL moving into the GWS market in principle, BUT I think it's wrong that they went into GWS first and not Tassie.

Sure there might not be as much money in Tassie, but Tassie is traditional Australian Rules Football heartland, and I'm of the opinion that they should have been rewarded with a team before GWS.

Ultimately, the AFL want a 20 team competition. Tassie is next cab of the rank, and I believe Townsville will be the 20th side. Or was it Darwin? Can't remember...

As for the Saints, I believe we've got a real following in Tassie, the birthplace of the Doc and Ian Stewart. Anyone like the idea of selling a few games there, as we did in the mid '00s??

[SainterK]

Richmond has rocks in it's head if it reckons they can make a market in India.

Cricket is a religion over there and they don't care much for anything else. Hockey and Soccer are a distant 2nd and 3rd sport

A nation of over 1 billion people and if they somehow teamed up with a cricketer or two the exposure (even a passing/fleeting interest) would be well worth it.

Maybe Warnie could say something nice about us for a change

[borderbarry]

REgarding New Zealand, about the time of Federation, Aussie Rules was about on a par with Rugby over there. There were 14 or 16 leagues, associations, competitions, or whatever you want to call them, in New Zealand.

[borderbarry]

Also about that time the VFL and the VFA were not very far apart in standard. This is of course the era when Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon won a lot of their premierships.

[saintly]

I don't know why the saints don't look at NZ like the hawks are doing

[saintspremiers]

NZ market is tricky. The 1st A League team went belly up after a few years. Second one is doing better.

[meher baba]

I think the idea that AFL could ever hope to expand into India is a total joke.

But, then, so is the idea that it can expand into western Sydney. IMO

I dont get why you are so against the expansion into Western Sydney. It is happening even if it takes 50 years. It has paid for itself with the TV rights going up so much. It is helping clubs like us stay in the AFL. Even if not many extra play or watch the game there will be some which can only make our game better to watch. If we dont expand games that can be play internationally may gradually take over.

I think the GWS/GC expansion has detracted from the game in it's heartland, taking an entire cohort of quality young players out of reach of the perenially struggling clubs. The AFL might end up gaining a few hundred new fans in Sydney at the risk of losing tens of thousands of fans in Melbourne to soccer.

Yes, at the moment the greater national spread of teams has benefits in terms of TV rights. However, given that bugger all people watch the game on TV in NSW and Queensland, this is a bit of a market anomaly which will eventually correct itself. Then what?

The dustbin of corporate history is filled with businesses that failed because, while they were distracted by dubious expansion schemes into new geographic areas, someone else came and stole their core customers. This might happen to AFL.